The usefulness of ultrasound imaging in the medical field is somewhat limited by a low signal-to-noise ratio in the resulting images. When ultrasonic energy is reflected by a nearby specular target such as a tissue interface having relatively large and generally planar surfaces, the reflected energy usually provides a distinct image. However, when ultrasonic energy is reflected from small discrete targets such as cell structures within the tissue having dimensions on the order of the wavelength of the ultrasonic energy, a combination of constructive and destructive interference from a large number of small scatters in a given voxel produces a finely textured salt-and-pepper interference pattern superimposed on the image produced by specular targets. This pattern is commonly referred to as acoustic speckle and may have an intensity equal to or greater than other features of the image, particularly at large depths where the signal is relatively small. Other types of noise, including electronic noise (e.g., shot noise) can also degrade the ultrasound images and are also more problematic at large depths where the signal is relatively small.